Gender gap in reading still problematic

For years, Andrew Bassett struggled in classrooms that he believed were geared to girls. English class was all about flowery essays, there was too much rote seat time, and his teachers just didn’t like his swagger. “All we read were romance novels and I suggested science fiction,” said the senior at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa, California. “I was just saying, ‘Broaden the range here.’ ”

Bassett eventually conquered his academic ennui, finding his place in an advanced English class and gaining admission to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a 4.38 GPA. But not all boys are faring so well. In Sonoma County and statewide, boys consistently score lower than girls in language arts in every grade tested—second through 11th grade. In seven of the grades, the divide last year between boys and girls in Sonoma County was greater than the gap statewide. And the divide widens as boys get older. Read more in The Press Democrat online.